Please be aware that there are unauthorized resellers of ISBNs, and that this activity is a violation of the ISBN standard and of industry practice. Advertisements with words like CHEAP ISBN and BANG FOR YOUR BUCK are warning signs that users should take caution. Since the ISBN assignment uniquely identifies a title for the life of the book, authors need to be assured of the legitimacy and security of the assigning company. There is even a company that calls itself isbnagency.com, they are not the U.S. ISBN agency.
NOTE: There are some ebook publishing companies offering discounted assignments. Aside from not having direct access to the Global Books in Print database, their barcodes do not comply with the ISBN standards. As the largest provider of barcode symbols to publishers, our digital barcode files are now the industry standard. The inclusion of a barcode symbol is a necessity for printed books, so make sure the barcode on your cover is professional and readable.
If you use one of these illegitimate ISBNs, you will not be correctly identified as the publisher of record in Books In Print or any of the industry databases, such as Barnes & Noble or Amazon, or in the databases of wholesalers such as Ingram.
Think of an ISBN number as a driver’s license for your book – it tells retailers everything they need to know about your book at a glance. However, if you buy an ISBN from an illegitimate source, it’s along the same lines as buying a driver’s license on a street corner: you’re certainly buying a license, but you don’t know whose you’re buying!
You have spent time bringing your book to life, make sure you obtain an ISBN from a legitimate source like ISBN US to make it available to as many potential readers as possible!